Have just found this, France is increasing its forces in Mali to 1400. That I assume is up from the stated 500 they origionally sent.
Source:
French troops in Mali increased to 1,400 | euronews, world news
The report also says that Islamists have been spotted in a town 140km from Bamako. Any pretext that there action is intended to establish a Tuareg nation in northern Mali, has been disproven.
It is a digrace that no other nation is chipping in to help them.Originally Posted by Thac0man
British and Canadians are assisting.
Good. The more the merrier. It will make it harder for the Islamofacists to target a specific country.
While a blog, this is well worth reading:
Behind Mali’s conflict: myths, realities & unknowns | Bridges from Bamako
The notion that what’s today playing out in Mali is the product of a “great game” between major powers ignores the realities on the ground there.
Just reported that other EU countries are to provide troops.
Mali is still a military dictatorship if that fact hasnt escaped you. Even though there is a caretaker government in charge, the military still call the shots with acting Prime Minister Cheikh Diarra arrested on the orders of Col Sanogo last December. The government in Bamako has no democratic mandate from the electorate. I find it bizarre that right wingers like you are the first to point the finger at Hugo Chavez at his perceived lack of democracy yet pass a blind eye to right wing, Western backed military dictatorships like Mali. Call it what you alike but the exact same circumstances existed in Afghanistan in 1979 and when the Soviets entered the country at the request of the Afghan military government, it was called an invasion by the Western media and governments, only this time the French have used a UN mandate to get cover for their latest colonial escapade in Africa.
Antiwar.com have a good track record of smelling bullcrap a mile off. Anyone who thinks this is about good old France helping democracy and freedom in its sphere of influence fighting Islamist rebels really are naive. You seem to have once again swallowed the dirge hook, line and sinker. The jihadis in Mali, bd as they are not the main problem. There is a whole raft of issues on hand here and the jihadis fit the bill nicely. Of course France backing Islamists in Syria while fighting them in Mali is completely lost on you. As you have already pointed out, Le Sauce has gambled on a quick victory to boost his image and flagging popularity and has ramped up French troop presence in Mali to 1500. It seems that France could be in for a long haul and could find itself bogged down.But given the complexity of what is happening, its no surprise that antiwar.com and its fans are burying their heads in the sand again, trying to bracket the crises in terms that suit their own narrow world view. The fate of Malians who have been subjected to medieval Taliban style barbarity while under the Islamists thumb, seems to be of no concern at all to them. Yet switch the theatre to Syria, and they can talk of little else. Reading the linked too article, I am frankly stunned by the level of churlish ignorance on display. Its broad stroke approach to the situation, and even how it describes the rebels, would be baffling if it did not so obviously serve the purpose of making visibly worn out hackery appear relevant. As an effort to stretch the usual 'one size fits all' philospohy over the current situation in Mali, it is stretched so thin its delusion is painfully transparent.
In reality France is just taking the battle to the the forces that have been attacking it, its citizens and its interests, in an effort to promote a thiests dictatorship. France should be proud to oppose such a malign movement both at home and abroad, especially if it saves the rich culture and heritage of Malians and Timboktu. That said they have taken on a problem that has been allowed to flourish in the Sahara region, and will now not easily be defeated. However I do not expect France to fight with one hand tied behind its back. From the off they have not embeded reporters with their military units, or tried to excuse necessary action to those who will refelxively oppose everything that happens to involve the west.
Reading between the lines of recent French government statements, its seems the French realise that they have gone into Mali a little unprepared. Despite an imminent influx of troops from neighbouring countries, I suspect they will need more French troops and equipment on the ground. Regional forces just will not be able to cut it, and French forces, for all their know how and professionalism, are not the US military with its astonishing support network and firepower. French military capability may be severly tested. The question is how many more countries will the conflict spill over into, given the Islamists have already used Mauritania as a point of entry into Mali to launch counter attacks?
How do you spell Q.U.A.G.M.I.R.E?
Great, Irish troops will be off to fight for gallant little Mali. John Redmond would be so proud.
Of course I oppose dictatorship. But would you prefer that the Al-Qaeda-inspired rebels conquered Mali? If that happened then the predicament of the Malian people would be many times worse.
Would you have said the same for Afghanistan circa December 1979?
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